𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐭︱raven reyes, book 1

xxix. fight and die

"Hey, listen to me," Clarke ordered, pressing her hand on Raven's hand. Her tone is bold but gentle, like a doctor giving very strict instructions. "That bullet is still inside you. If by some miracle, there's no internal bleeding, it might hold until we get somewhere safe. But you are not walking there. Is that clear?"

Although she doesn't like it, Raven caves. She gives Clarke a nod, resting back once more. "I'll get the stretcher," Finn offered, releasing her hand and rushing for the open dropship door. He doesn't make it, not before Bellamy stops him.

"Can't run away fast enough, huh? Real brave." Bellamy tacks a scoff at the end.

Finn whirls back around. June saw the way he tensed like he was insulted. "Dying in a fight you can't win isn't brave, Bellamy," he countered. "It's stupid." June couldn't help but agree. This was their home, but they didn't have much of a chance. All they could do was hope, and the way it looked, they didn't have much of it.

"Spoken like every coward who's ever run from a fight," Bellamy retorted sharply.

"Alright, enough! Put the rulers away!" June cuts in, making the pair of boys stop their mini fight momentarily. "There's no time to argue. Are we leaving or not?"

Stepping away from Raven, Clarke answered simply. "It's time to go."

"If they follow?" Bellamy pointed out with an edge in his tone. "It's a one-hundred twenty mile walk to the ocean."

"Look, we're wasting time!" Finn exclaimed in frustration, fed up with Bellamy's need to stay and fight in a war they most likely couldn't win without a firm plan. "If he wants to stay, he can stay." Clarke tries to stop him, but Finn is gone before any of them can blink, brushing aside the red curtain and storming outside to retrieve the stretcher for Raven.

Hand rubbing her forehead, Clarke takes a deep breath. "We can't do this without you, Bellamy," she whispered, striding forward and holding a more private conversation at the door of the dropship. June assumed that Clarke was going to try to convince him to leave, as all the delinquents followed and believed in him.

June remained put, standing beside Raven, keeping a hand rested on the wounded one's shoulder. A hand resting on top of hers softly had her head turning, lowering her gaze until it landed on Raven who stared back tenderly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, voice cracking from weakness with an equally feeble squeeze on June's hand.

Almost immediately June understood what Raven was apologizing for. She had almost forgotten, but when remembering, she realized she wasn't as hurt over it. Maybe it was because she almost just lost Raven, or maybe she forgave so easily. But June nodded with a timid smile, telling her without words they were okay. Her head turned back to Clarke and Bellamy when Clarke's voice raised, overhearing the last words passed to one another.

"I gave them an easy choice!" Clarke exclaimed. "But five minutes ago, they were willing to fight and die for you. You inspire them," she encouraged him in a more softer voice. "I'm afraid we're gonna need that again before this day is through."

Silence fills the air. Bellamy is still, mulling over his options silently before he gave Clarke a curt nod. It was just a small action, but June smiles despite him marching out of the dropship. "We're leaving?" June questioned her friend.

Clarke nodded in confirmation. "We're leaving."

━━━━━━━━

A decently weighted bag's strap hung low on June's shoulder. She could have upgraded the attire, but the bag was the first one made on their third day on Earth by Wells, and she wasn't ready to part with it just yet. The now empty tent she and Clarke shared was long behind her as she crossed the field, seeing the other delinquents filing out of the gate in small groups. June could see Bellamy and Clarke through the crowd, being the last ones as they watched everyone else leave before them.